On May 19, 2020, the BC government announced a temporary pandemic pay program to support “health, social services and corrections employees delivering in-person, front-line care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes employees delivering a range of health and social services to people most vulnerable to COVID-19, where maintaining physical distancing is difficult or impossible.” The program is cost-shared with the federal government, which provides 75% of the funding. Excluded management staff are currently not eligible for this program.
The BC Excluded Employees’ Association (BCEEA) strongly supports the intention of this program and welcomes the recognition it brings to the very real risk and hardships experienced by BC’s front-line workers. However, we are dismayed that the definition of eligibility excludes all non-unionized management employees. This is unreasonable and will certainly create a sense of division between groups of employees who are doing essentially the same work – side by side on the front lines, serving a vulnerable population, in a time of immense instability and uncertainty.
The BCEEA believes that the temporary pandemic pay program should recognize the value and risk of work carried out by all BC government employees. It should be a benefit to everyone providing front-line government services. The BCEEA wants government to re-examine its initial rationale for providing this program to include excluded management employees. The principles of fairness and transparency will go a long way towards providing the recognition and appreciation that all staff deserve in these challenging times.
For more information on the eligibility criteria for pandemic play, please read the full version of this Communique.
BC Gov News. (2020, May 19). Pandemic pay supports front-line health, social service workers. Available at: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FIN0031-000907.